Excellent presentation by psychologist Daniel Lisle. The first half goes into the biological and neurological reasons for craving and pleasure seeking. The second applies this to food and eating a healthy diet. Many of the concepts here are applicable to the mind in general and I drew many parallels to Buddhist practice.

So so people have temporary messed up (desensitized) their brain by eating too much crap, fat, sugar, salt, etc? What...they cant even enjoy or taste a salad? So they need to go on a juice fast or water rehab?

Why is it so hard indeed?"As the Buddha notes, we hope for happiness in sensual pleasures not because they've ever really satisfied us but because we can't imagine any other escape from pain and suffering." (Thanissaro)

"As the Buddha notes, we hope for happiness in sensual pleasures not because they've ever really satisfied us but because we can't imagine any other escape from pain and suffering." (Thanissaro)

Ever sense university i got to the idea that most of the "fun stuff" are just an escape - cause when you need to study boring stuff - you start to get extremely hungry and really want to listen to music -

so if i like more lets say pizza then ice cream does it say pizza helps me "escape" more ? or lets say foods that have the same calories - lets say banana and an apple - does one of them give more "escape" then the other ?

Please send merit to my dog named Mika who has passed away - thanks in advance

I would think banana and apple are pretty similar and healthy foods.As Thanissaro writes about we all feed on different experiences, and nibbana being the end of this feeding or outside of it is the highest happiness.

The issue is more with certain foods warping the brain over the long term...

"A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study fohttp://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/ ... ex.htmlund.

There is some talk of arahant just eating for sustenance, not for enjoyment or anything else right? Any evidence they understood the warping influence of food?

purple planet wrote:Same with music ? a very good song warps the brain (escapes the brain) longer then a less good song ?

But i have found that the liking or disliking of any song is dependent more so to the sensations that course within us at a particular given time . Same song heard at a different time does not evoke the same sense of involvement , as that earlier . Also find this happening with other objects of my attention and interest .

Hence the exhortation of all the Buddhas " Mind matters most , Everything is mind made ", becomes a wonderful motivator .

sanjay

The Path of Dhamma

The path of Dhamma is no picnic . It is a strenuous march steeply up the hill . If all the comrades desert you , Walk alone ! Walk alone ! with all the Thrill !!